Written By: Pavitra Sampath | Updated : May 21, 2014 12:14 PM IST
The number of people suffering from diabetes is on the rise. Whether we blame a sedentary lifestyle or the food we eat, there is no ignoring the number of people who fall a prey to the disease. According to experts this disease is not only a blood sugar disorder but is a vascular disease.
With almost everyone spending so much of their time in a sedentary job, how can one stay healthy and safe from diabetes? Here are some things you can do:
Be physically active: You have probably heard this advice a million times, but it is true. The best way to keep healthy is to exercise. It not helps reduce weight, but also regulates blood sugar levels. Half an hour of exercise whether aerobic exercise, or activities like dancing, playing tennis, brisk walking etc. reduces the risk of Type 2 diabetes by 30%. If you do not have time in the day, you could try taking a fifteen minute walk after each meal within your office complex. This helps regulate one's blood sugar levels thereby reducing the risk of developing diabetes.
Read more about causes, symptoms, diagnosis and treatment of diabetes.
Healthy diet: Eating foods that are rich in fibre helps to naturally balance sugar levels in the body. Avoid the habit of overeating and instead divide your meals into 5-6 meals including snacks etc. There is one sneaky demon when it comes to eating emotional eating. Yup, when you are stressed out or just feeling low, one does tend to turn to food to calm down. Avoid this habit, it leads to weight gain and eventually diabetes. Junk food is also a strict no-no as they are a major reason of obesity and diabetes. Find more about a healthy diet here.
Get proper sleep: Sleeping for at least 7-8 hours in a day is a must since proper sleep will make you feel energetic, and most importantly keep a check on your cravings for high-calorie food. Want to sleep well? Try eating these foods.
Manage stress: Stress is one of the major reasons for diabetes. Studies suggest that the more stressed out a person is the more he/she tends to resort to unhealthy food habits or start smoking and/or binge drinking. How stress works is that the stress hormones alter blood glucose levels directly increasing the risk of the diabetes. To lower your stress levels you could try yoga, meditation, exercising, listening music or anything that makes you happy and stress free.
Diet
Get Regular health check-ups: As the saying goes, better safe than sorry, getting regular health check-up especially after the age of 45 is always a good idea. But if you have known risk factors (like high blood pressure or obesity), discuss them with your doctor. Read about the 10 life saving tests you should get, here.
With inputs from Zee news
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